Blurred Roses
by Screwed.Roses
Summary: Oscar is not Ozpin. Or is he now? This thought messes with Oscar’s state of mind as he works hard to hide his anxiety and emotions, at least until he breaks. Meanwhile, the Battle at Mantle does a number on teams RWBY & JNR, especially Ruby who soon joins Oscar in a state of unconsciousness. Takes place in Vol. 7 Ep. 9. Contains Rosegarden & a tad of Bmblb & Renora.
1. Oscar1

**_Alrighty. Well, here goes nothing. In my opinion, our boi Oscar Pine is in serious need for character development. I want something more from him. Which lead me to write my first fanfic. Until while I was writing this story, it became a story about Oscar AND Ruby. This takes place during/after Volume 7 episode 9...Y'all read the summary. This was _****_written before Vol. 7 ep. 10 was released, so there's that. OkaAaAAayyYYYY, buckle up RWBY fans cuz this is, um, interesting ;)_**

**Oscar, Chapter 1**

"Yea, I've got it," I told Ruby as she was leaving. I just wanted to run at full speed, to get out of there as soon as possible. It was INSANELY difficult to hide my blushing. I don't even know WHY I felt my cheeks burning, sweat forming under my dark bangs. She has always been a great friend to me, even when everyone was annoyed at Ospin for hiding secrets.

"Oh, good luck down there!" I yelled. Oh. She yelled the same thing back at me. At the same time. Now I couldn't hold in my blush any longer. I just walked casually out of the room, trying to maintain my coolness. Well, that's what I always try to do in front of everyone. All my new friends, their so much more experienced than me, their so cool and talented. I'm just some farm boy that was oh so lucky enough to be entered in the lottery for "Who Will Be Some Old Man's New Vessel?" and won. I feel like they expect something wise to come out of my mouth every time I speak. I don't know ANYTHING. It just tumbles out.

I walked through the halls of the Schnee manor to the bathroom first before I spoke to Ironwood. After that awkward conversation, I didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. Plus, I was starting to get a headache, I needed some time alone. Then I realized, I have no idea where the bathrooms were. I walked up to some random butler with bright green eyes and politely asked where the bathrooms were. She was just silent and pointed her finger at another butler, then pointed at her mouth and zipped it. She must be mute. I apologized and asked the other butler for directions. Soon, I was in a private bathroom surrounded by new thoughts attacking my brain at once.

"What the heck was that with Ruby?"

"Will they all be ok?"

"How am I going to start the conversation with Ironwood?"

"...has the merging with Ozpin's soul started already?"

"...how long do I have until I'm not ME anymore?"

Wait. Hold up.

Am I still Oscar Pine, that scrawny 15 year old boy dragged onto a mission? Or am I acting and talking like Ozpin? WAIT, what if I started talking and acting like him without even knowing it! Oh man, oh man. Now that I think about it, I've been talking weirdly lately. Did I really give Ironwood all of that wisdomy advice down in the relic chamber? He's freaking me out. WAIT! No wonder he's been asking me for advice, I've been talking all wise Ozpin stuff this whole time! Did Ruby notice? Wait why did I think that. Did THEY notice? Honestly, they probably didn't. I'm basically invisible. Bet if I skipped supper they wouldn't notice or say anything.

Now my head is really starting to hurt. I don't want to act like Ozpin. I don't want to be over a zillion years old when I'm actually 15. I just want to be normal. I just want me to be me and my privacy to be mine. Oh my GOD, it was so bad when Ozpin would insert his thoughts into mine. "You should be training," he'd say, "I've gone through this many times," he'd say, "you know, your quite cute for your age," he'd say. Ok. That one I might have enjoyed. My freckles are my favorite feature...WAIT NO! Anyways, everything else he said was annoying. It was like all of my private thoughts were suddenly exposed to some random man I never knew, and my privacy is everything. I need time to myself, and ONLY me, with MY thoughts.

Which is why I'm here. In this bathroom. With my thoughts. My terrifying thoughts.

I started to wonder if my new friends even cared that my whole life has been taken over without my consent. Would I even call them my "friends?" These are the same people that used to glare at me, show their teeth at me, punch me like I was the useless bag of nothing that I've felt like since Ozpin invaded my mind.

I remember when I hit my breaking point and ran away into the streets of Argus. Ran away to some alleyway hiding behind some buildings, where they would never find me. A place behind a dumpster where I let out a panic attack by myself and cried my eyes out for a long while. It had started to get cold, so I had to pick myself up and accept the mission I had been forced into, and walk back home. I knew better than to sink any lower than I felt, so I hid my pain behind a fake smile and baked a casserole, just like how mom used to when we had the privilege to borrow an oven from our neighbors.

I still feel that pain, like how I feel it right now. Scars never go away. Don't get me wrong, I forgive them. But the damage has been done.

I felt confused, useless, depressed, scared, everything under the rainbow of hell. I felt a panic attack coming on, but I worked hard to push it into the depths of my mind. I couldn't let one out right here right now, people might hear me. But it only worsened my state. Everything ached.

My headache was getting really bad and I started to not feel that great. At all. Then I remembered something...IRONWOOD. Oh come on, seriously. I felt like I was about to pass out or something. But I knew that it had to be done and I had to be the one to explain everything to him. So, I got off the floor where I was sitting and went to the mirror to fix my hair (I mean, my bangs are my second favorite feature). As I looked into the mirror, I saw my red eyes and realized tears had been forming. Oh. Oops. I wiped them away, making sure I looked as if I hadn't been crying, and walked out of there.

As I walked out of the restroom, I suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell over. I bumped into something. No, someone. As I worked hard to regain my composure, I looked at the face of who I bumped into. Oh..it was that mute butler again. She was smirking at me, as if she knew something, which made me even more uncomfortable and uneasy. I quickly apologized and headed to the dining room.

Each step was like lifting weights on my feet. I wanted this overwhelming feeling to go away. I just wanted to be back at the academy laying in bed.


	2. Ruby2

**Ruby, Chapter 2**

"Good luck in there!" I yelled back to Oscar as he was about to leave. Oh. We said the same thing. Awkwardness...I haven't felt this awkward since my first days at Beacon. But this awkwardness was different. But I can't think about that right now. There are people in danger down in Mantle and it's up to us, HuNtErS aNd HuNtReSSeS tO pRoTeCt ThEm Oh mY gAwD iM sO eXcItEd Im A rEaL hUnTrEsS wItH a ReAl LiScEnCe—

And a real responsibility that must be taken care of with courage and maturity. I ran to the leaving transport and hopped inside. I could've sworn I heard Marrow say something about me, but I didn't hear. I was trying to focus on the mission at hand. But I have to admit, it was very hard to think, seeing Ren and Nora holding hands and Blake and Yang staring at each other. Poor Jaune is… I don't really want to think about him. And then there was me. Young innocent Ruby who has never had a crush on anyone before. But I'm not sure about that anymore—

WAHHH A FLAPPY GRIMM.

Thank god I didn't say that out loud.

"Uhh ITS TIME TO GO!" yelled Uncle Qrow.

"You've had your team assignments! Lets go!" yelled Clover.

Ok then. Time to be a huntress.


	3. Oscar3

**Oscar, Chapter 3**

I walked to the dining room slowly. After that fall, I was scared of it happening again in front of Ironwood...or was I? No, Ozpin isn't scared of Ironwood, that's Ozpin thinking. I'M scared of going sick in front of Ironwood. I felt even worse with every slight turn, every step. How big is this mansion anyways!? My head felt as if it was about to burst, my heart was full of pain that I didn't want, my body ached everywhere. I could feel my face burning up. Nevertheless, I tried super hard to stay focused on what I was about to reveal to Ironwood.

Ok, here it is. The dining room door. I really hope I walk into Ironwood and not some council members. I did NOT want to socialize at all with ANYONE. I was there to get the job done, leave the room, and hide away somewhere. Where, I had no idea, but one step at a time.

I went in for a knock and almost fell forward. Before my head could smack the door with a loud echo, I once again regained my balance. I took a step back and leaned against a nearby wall.

I was in real trouble now. What if I passed out or something in the middle of the conversation? The thought made my head ache even more, so I pushed it away. But if I am going to pass out, it can't be in the dining room with Ironwood. I have to go in now and get this over with before I cause something bad to happen.

I pulled myself together and carefully knocked on the door. I stepped inside and saw Ironwood, still sitting there miserably with his head in his hands. Which reminded me, I have to be careful with my actions and expressions or I'll worry him. Poor guy already has a huge load on him. Kind of like me I guess. Or maybe not.

I immediately sat down in the nearest seat, took a breathe, and began. This is going to take a while...


	4. Ruby4

**Ruby, Chapter 4**

I...don't know how to process what went on down there. I'm not going to think about it. We're going straight back to the academy to rest.

I hope Oscar and Ironwood are back there. I hope Oscar did good in telling him everything. But I feel guilty that it had to be him of all people to tell him. Of course I'm aware of his situation. It seems like I'm the only one that's aware. Some immortal professor invaded his mind, took control of his life, changing it forever, dragging him on a crazy mission to save the world he hadn't signed up for. I feel bad for him, especially after Argus.

But he's trying his best, which I am so proud of. I just wished he didn't need to.

"Almost there," said an exhausted Harriet. Ok then, I have a few more minutes of thinking time. I gazed out the window, staring out into the depths of my thoughts.

I'm scared for Oscar. I noticed his behavior changes. I noticed his use of words… I noticed how he sounds like Ozpin. I don't want him to change. Panic began to rise in my stomach. I don't want anything about him to change, but it's already started to happen and I can't do anything about it. All I can do is stand on the sidelines, watching one of my new closest friends change without their consent before my eyes.

"Ruby, are you ok? You don't look too good. And not from the battle," said Yang. I jumped and looked up at her face. There were bruises all over, and I looked down at her damaged, detached robot arm on her lap.

"Oh! Uh, yea I'm ok. I'm ok. Just deep in thought."

But that's the thing though. "One of my new closest FRIENDS." If he's a friend, then how come that conversation we had was so awkward!? I could have sworn I saw a blush forming on his freckled cheeks before he took off… I could have sworn I felt a blush forming on my cheeks too...oh. That's probably why I saw yang smirk and side-eyed me.

...do I like Oscar?

"Ok gang, we're here. I think it's obvious the first thing we should do is head straight to the infirmary." said Clover, as he glanced at a beaten up Uncle Qrow. "After that, we can get some much needed rest, whether it be in the infirmary or your dorms."

Dang it. I almost exclaimed that I was fine, but as I opened my mouth a shot of pain went through my head. I flinched a little too obviously and Jaune asked if I was ok. Of course I wasn't, I have too many thoughts and too many aches, but I was ignoring them. I said I'll be fine soon. But that shot did worry me a bit.

We slowly went up the stairs to the academy, barely being able to continue walking. As we reached the doors and walked inside, Ironwood rushed in and almost ran into Nora. He had a worried look on his face and I knew something was wrong.

"Are you guys ok? How is it down there? Actually, nevermind that. You'll all be heading to the infirmary anyway. Something...terrible has happened while you were all away."

Panic quickly began to build in my gut. I walked up to him, looking him in the eye.

"...what happened that was so terrible…"

He looked away for a moment and took a good look at all of us. We were all bruised and beaten up badly, with the images of the battle scarred in our minds.

"...I think I know what this is about. Is this about the truth?" I asked. Everyone put confused looks on their faces. I forgot only me and Oscar decided to tell Ironwood...wait a second…

"Where is Oscar?"

A silence took hold that seemed to last forever. I started to feel a weird dizziness that I ignored. Now I'm really panicked.

"General...where is Oscar?..."

Ironwood replied with emptiness in his eyes.

"After he told me everything, the truth, after he walked out of the dining room, I heard him collapse. I walked out to see that he had passed out, right there outside the door. I immediately took him to our transport back to the academy and straight to the infirmary. He is being taken care of right this second, but I don't think we'll know why this happened until he wakes up."

And then another harder, stronger shot of pain went through my head, and I saw the white floor moving towards me, until everything was black.


	5. Oscar5

**Oscar, Chapter 5**

Finally. I was done. I could shut up. Ironwood sat with his head in his hand. I just wanted him to say some kind of conclusion that excuses me to leave the room. My head was throbbing, everything was blurry, I felt feverish, and my heart beat with pain and depression. My hope was that he wouldn't notice any of those things, which were most likely to happen. He only cared for Ozpin, not Oscar. After a billion years he looked up and said stuff. I said stuff back. I felt a little bit of dizziness hitting me so I put my hand on the table. But what really caught me off guard was what tumbled out of my mouth next:

"You're bringing the hope that Atlas was meant to inspire. A city in the sky is held to a higher standard."

"You say that...like you were there—"

Then I stopped listening. What the hell did I just say? What did I even mean!? This proves that the merging already started happening and I'm not Oscar anymore. I'm a flipping psychopath! I didn't think it was possible, but my head started throbbing even more and I started sweating under my dark bangs, only this time it wasn't because of a special someone. I didn't hear what Ironwood said, so I just nodded and headed straight for the door. It's honestly quite a miracle that I was able to hold my pain in this whole time behind a calm looking boy.

"Oscar?"

Dammit.

"No more surprises alright? I'm not sure I could take it."

Sorry dude, but you'll be in for a great surprise when you find out I've went unconscious or something, cause I don't know if I can even walk straight.

"You and me both," I said back. Heh. Don't know where that came from.

I stepped out of the dining room, keeping my calm exterior, but I couldn't hold it in any longer. My headache struck me hard, everything went blurry, and I suddenly wasn't standing anymore. Everything was foggy and white. I heard footsteps going towards me. Then I couldn't take anything anymore, and closed my eyes.


	6. Weiss6

**Weiss, Chapter 6**

"Ruby!"

"She's out cold."

"She needs to rest and heal in the infirmary."

"...with Oscar. Hehe. Heh."

"Shut up Yang!"

"Sorry!...I really do hope she'll be ok though...along with Oscar too..."

"I'll take her. You guys can catch up."

Harriet scooped up the unconscious Ruby with a sigh and used her speed to take her to the infirmary fast. What is going on here? First Oscar, now Ruby? Well, I did see Ruby take a heavy blow to the head back there before I rushed in to help. But what happened to Oscar?

We were immediately lead to the mini hospital. It was actually quite nice, it was a large rectangular room lined with fluffy hospital beds and the best Atlas computer systems, showing each injured person's aura. The nurse lead us to see Oscar, still unconscious, laying in a bed located next to Ruby, who's aura was being connected to the big screen hanging next to her. I have to admit, seeing them sleeping at the same time was quite cute...Yang was smirking.

I leaned in close to Yang, whispering:

"Enjoying yourself? I thought you wouldn't want Ruby to be with anyone, let alone Oscar of all people...it still bothers me that there's an old professor in there."

"...I know. It still bothers me too. But let's pretend Ozpin isn't in there. Wouldn't you think it was cute? It's so dorky!"

"...I suppose so. But maybe not as dorky as you and Blake."

Blake, being the amazing listener she is, started to blush and Yang looked away. Oops. But I don't think I was wrong though.

We were told to each lay down on a bed to be checked on. The Ace Ops along with Qrow went to a separate room with more beds. I chose the bed opposite Ruby, and Yang chose the one to the other side of her. Blake took the one opposite Yang. Team JNR went to the other side of the room where there were more beds, closest to Oscar. Everyone was silent.

I stared at the sleeping Ruby and Oscar. I don't recall any strange or awkward moments between them, although Ruby did compliment his new outfit back in Argus. But I don't know if that was anything peculiar.

Oscar began to toss in his sleep. I noticed that he wasn't only unconscious, tears were falling from his eyes. Whatever caused him to pass out, must have been either personal or painful. Maybe even both.

Ruby also began to toss in her sleep, which I did not expect. She was only hit hard in the head, nothing else. Or is there something else? Is she hiding something? No. That's ridiculous. She knows better than to keep secrets from her best friends, right?

We were each individually checked out, one by one. As we got bandaged up, we left for our dorms one after the other, wishing each other the best. First went Blake. Then Yang. She took a bit longer, as her robot arm had to be inspected. Then I insisted Jaune go next. He was hesitant, as he wanted to stay with Oscar longer, but he finally gave in. After him, I decided that I would go. I didn't want to separate Ren and Nora. They seemed like they wanted time alone.

I sat still in my bed as the nurse looked me over. I had a few bruises here and there, some scratches located there and here, and a dangerously low aura, as did everyone else. She told me that I was clear to return to the dorms, and I was excused out of the room. I took one last glance at Ren and Nora, Oscar and Ruby. Nora shot a thumbs up at me, then flinched at her action. Ren smiled.

I slowly walked down to the dorms to meet with the others. I hoped that they would be ok, and planned to go straight to bed for rest. I was exhausted.


	7. RenxNora7

**Ren and Nora, Chapter 7**

Ren sat in his bed deep in thought as everyone left the room one by one. He didn't move a muscle as Nora politely asked if they could be alone. He didn't say anything when the nurse looked at them with kindness in her eyes and agreed, but only for a short amount of time as Ruby and Oscar needed attention as well.

As the nurse left, Nora began to get out of bed to get closer to Ren. That was when he finally said something.

"Stop. You need to lay down, Nora. Your aura is too low."

Nora hesitated and continued to slowly move out of bed and sat next to him. She understood why he didn't want her to move. She understood that he cared for her health. What she didn't understand was why he'd been acting the way he has since he got to Atlas.

Since he got to Atlas, Ren knew that he was in trouble. His semblance picked up all the negative emotions in Mantle. All the negativity in the academy. All of the negativity radiating off of one of the Ace Operatives. All of the negativity hitting him at once made him agitated and tense. Especially the fact that, with all the negativity in his mind he couldn't figure out which one of the Ace Ops was feeling negative, no matter how much he meditated. As he walked through Mantle, the feeling was stronger and his agitation rose along with his attitude. He didn't want to be that way, but in the moments he couldn't help but let out some of his anger. And he especially did not want to hurt Nora.

He blamed himself for not feeling the large amount of Grimm heading towards her just a few hours ago. He blamed himself for not seeing this sooner after the massacre in Mantle, the one time he was caught off guard. He blamed himself for the new scar on Nora's arm where the Sabyr struck her while she was looking away.

"Ren."

Ren didn't move.

"Ren. Please, talk to me. You know you can trust me. You don't have to handle your load by yourself. Just please remember that I will always be there for you if you want to talk."

Nora took his hand and let him squeeze it, knowing that he needed to.

"But what if you're not there. What if you are gone one day and it's all my fault because I can't handle my stupid semblance."

This surprised her. She wasn't expecting that. She was expecting silence or something. She didn't understand.

"I don't understand. But, you don't have to explain if you don't want to. I'm not going anywhere."

She squeezed his hand tighter.

"If something bad happens, it is never your fault. Nothing is ever your fault. You are not a bad person. You can't stop everything bad from happening. Like Yang said, bad things just happen, and sometimes we can't do anything about it. Remember that."

Ren and Nora made eye contact, with Nora having a reassuring look in her eyes. Ren read them. They said "You can explain everything when you're ready, and I'll be there to shut up and listen for you."

They took each other's hands and began to move in closer. They read each other's mind. Just as their lips were about to touch, the nurse walked in and said, "Times up you two. You aren't the only ones that need to be checked upon, you know."

They jumped apart and Nora fell off the side of his bed. Ren began to laugh. Nora looked up and smiled, he rarely laughed like that. She slowly picked herself up and sat back on her own bed, volunteering to go first.

Once Nora was done, she asked if she could wait until Ren was finished so they could walk out together. She sat on the edge of her bed, watching as the nurse looked him over, inspecting every scratch and wound. As he finished up, the nurse politely told them they were free to go. But there was something Nora had in mind first.

She gazed at Oscar and Ruby. Ren followed her eyes and looked back at her. She wore a wide smirk on her face. He read her mind and smirked back.

"I'm sorry miss, but is it ok if we do something…"


	8. Oscar8

**Oscar, Chapter 8**

My head hurt so bad. Every part of my body was aching. I felt hot and kind of dizzy. I didn't want to open my eyes.

I took in everything I was feeling. The air was cool. I was laying on some really comfy bed. I didn't hear anything but some computers, so I took it as no one was around me. Computers. Wait, no… health monitors. I must be in the infirmary.

When did I pass out? I worked hard to remember, and remembered seeing a door. The door from the dining room. The dining room is where I was. I was talking to someone. I was talking to...Ironwood. I was telling him...the truth. And I felt sick. I was depressed because...I was thinking about Ozpin and the future.

I started to recollect my memories slowly, but I kept my eyes shut. I still felt like crap.

So I was depressed and anxious, but I held in everything for a period of time. Which caused me to become even more anxious and sick. Which made me dizzy. Which made it really hard to talk to Ironwood. But the topic we were discussing made me even more scared for my future. I said something that really broke me, but I don't remember what it was. I knew I was about to pass out, so I walked to the door.

Then I remember pain and dizziness. That must be where it ended for me.

But there was something else that happened, before Ironwood. What was it?

I took in the calmness of the room. It was quiet and peaceful, and there was a steady breathing.

Wait, WHAT?!

I listened closely. Yup, someone was here. And they were close. REALLY close. So close I could practically feel their breathe.

How did I not notice this before again?

Sweat began to form under my bangs. Dammit, the feeling was coming back. If I opened my eyes, I could scare the crap out of them and they could scream or something. If I kept them closed, they could probably still pick up on the monitors whether or not I was conscious or not anyways. I dunno how technology works.

Ok, I'm going to open my eyes and get this over with, whoever is breathing on me.

3…

2…

1!

I opened my eyes, and it wasn't them who almost screamed. It was me.

Actually, it was RUBY.

RUBY. IS. BREATHING. ON. ME.

WHY.

I looked around without lifting my head up. The room was big and lined with beds. I gazed from right to left, ending on Ruby's flipping face, only like 3 inches away from mine. I couldn't see the other side of the room because her head was in the way.

Wait.

Her body was in the way.

I looked down and put on a face of pure horror.

SOMEONE. MOVED. OUR. BEDS. SO. THEY. WERE. TOUCHING.

WHO WOULD DO THIS.

WHY.

JUST WHY.

Wait.

Why was Ruby unconscious in here? Did something bad happen to her? What happened that was bad enough to knock her out?

This was making me uncomfortable. Very, very very uncomfortable and awkward.

But I was weirdly not uncomfortable at the same time?

I looked down and saw that she was curled in a ball. Aw, she looked kinda cute.

Wait.

Who's hand is that.

The one she's holding.

How many times did I say "wait" already since waking up?

Huh. The hand is orange, just like my gloves.

…

WHAT!!

HOW DID I NOT FEEL IT.

HOW DID I NOT NOTICE IT.

I didn't move. I just kept staring. Ruby was curled in a ball, unconscious, very close to me, holding my hand.

…

I smiled. She was sleeping so peacefully.

I accepted the situation and squeezed her hand, and fell back asleep again, more confused than ever.


	9. RenxNora9

**Ren and Nora, Chapter 9**

Best. Prank. Ever.

"THAT WAS SOOOO CUTEEE!!" exclaimed Nora. "IM SO GLAD I THOUGHT OF THE IDEA."

"That was quite funny," said Ren. "But won't they be panicked when they wake up?"

"...uh. Nah. They'll be fine. Who knows, it might bring them closer together."

She took Ren's hand as they walked down the hallway, until Ren came close to a stop.

"...what will the others think when they come to check on them?"

Shit.

Nora thought for a moment.

"I'm sure they'll laugh at it. It's hilarious and adorable. That holding hands thing we did was especially grand. I'm sure everything will be fine. Well, maybe not for Oscar or Ruby. As long as nothing gets too inappropriate…"

Nora did a few winks.

"Eww. Nora...they're not even that old."

They smiled and continued to chuckle all the way down to the dorms.


	10. Ruby10

**Ruby, Chapter 10**

My head hurt so bad. Every part of my body was aching. I felt kind of dizzy. I didn't want to open my eyes.

But I totally opened my eyes anyways.

I was blinded by the bright light. I looked to my left. There was a door leading to the outside world, with a sign over it reading INFIRMARY EXIT. No duh. But I guess that does tell me I'm in the infirmary.

There were a few beds lined up. I looked back up at the ceiling and began to count the white tiles. What? I was bored. But I gave up because it was really hard and it made my head hurt. I still felt dazed.

What happened again? Let's see… I remember getting off the transport. We were...coming back from fighting in Mantle. And we were really badly beaten up...my head hurt, but I was ignoring it. Ok. And… we walked into the academy.

When we walked in, something stopped us. That something was...Ironwood. He said something, something important, but I don't remember. Then I remember pain, and seeing white. Heh. That was probably the floor.

My bed was sooo comfy, and the air felt cool. I closed my eyes, it felt relaxing. I wonder how long I've been laying here?

But then I felt something. The air wasn't cool anymore, it was warm. And steady.

Wait a gosh darn second.

That feels like breathing.

It was coming from my right, and whoever it was, they were really close. Like, REALLLY close. How did I not see them? I recalled my inspection of the room. I saw a door, a sign, the ceiling...oh dang it. I didn't look to my right. I was staring at the ceiling, then that's when I closed my eyes.

Poop.

Why are they staring at me so closely? And why are they holding my hand?

Ohhh. I see. It must be Yang. She must be so worried.

Hehe, alrighty. I'm gonna surprise her.

3…

2…

1…

I opened my eyes and stuck out my tongue. "BLEHHH."

…

WHAT?!

I accidentally let out a small yelp. Good thing I didn't wake HIM up.

It was Oscar. He's breathing on me. He's holding my hand. And...HIS BED IS RIDING UP NEXT TO MY BED.

WHY.

JUST WHY.

Then I remembered. The news that Ironwood was telling us was that Oscar had passed out at the Schnee Manor, and was brought back to the academy. And it just so happens that I also passed out and was brought to the bed right next to his. But who would push them so closely together?...

...bet it was either Yang or Nora.

I didn't move. I just kept staring at him. He was maybe about 3 inches away from my face. He was curled up in a ball now, which was funny cause Yang always told me I curled up in balls when I slept. I shifted my body so I, too, was curled up in a ball and directly facing Oscar. I wonder if I've been sleeping in this position while I was unconscious. The thought made me feel weird.

Now we were both curled up in lil balls, holding hands and facing each other. Except I was the only one awake. And smiling. He looked so peaceful. I began to count his freckles (what? Sometimes I count things when I'm bored).

1 freckle…

2 freckles…

3 freckles…

Wait, those aren't freckles.

Those are dried up tears.

Why was he crying? He doesn't deserve to cry. I never want him to cry. He shouldn't have been crying. I want to know why he was crying. I wish I was there.

I squeezed his hand and felt tired, so I fell back asleep, more confused than ever.


	11. RWBY&JNR11

**Teams RWBY and JNR, Chapter 11**

"YOU. DID. W H A T!!!???"

Nora and Ren sat there in pure fear and horror. But they just took Yang's exclamation the wrong way.

"...THATS AMAZING! LETS GO CHECK ON THEM RIGHT NOW!! I HAVEEE TO SEE THIS BEFORE THEY WAKE UP! COME ON, BLAKE! YOU'RE COMING TOO! AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO SEE THIS!"

Yang immediately grabbed Blake's hand and headed to the infirmary, with everyone else following.

"But Yang, shouldn't they be alone, resting? And us as well?" said Blake. She squeezed her hand and tugged Blake along with her.

"...Nah, that can wait. This is MUCH more important. My life depends on this."

Blake rolled her eyes as they all approached the infirmary. Weiss and team JNR followed closely behind.

"HEHEHHEHEHEHE. THERE IT IS GUYS!! THE DOOR!!"

"Yang, you need to calm down. You might wake them or break the door. Look at you, you're practically bouncing."

Weiss immediately leaned in and whispered to Blake, "You're staring at her..um, chest."

Blake blushed hard and looked away. She did NOT mean to do that.

"Don't worry, I'LL open the door, since Yang is obviously about to knock it down," said Weiss.

Then she realized EVERYONE was bouncing, except her and Blake, who was still deeply embarrassed. Her lil cat ears were pointing downwards.

Weiss slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

"Seriously, everyone needs to calm down. They're still sleeping. We might wake them up. And I know you guys definitely wouldn't want to wake them, considering the positions Ren and Nora put them in."

"WHAT!? What are you talking about Weiss? Me and Ren didn't move them...we only moved the beds and their hands!..." said Nora, until it hit everyone.

"Wait...if you two didn't move them, then…"

"What do you mean 'considering the positions Ren and Nora put them in?!"

"OH MY GAWD IS IT CUTE!?"

"Yang stop it, you're being loud and distracting Blake."

"WHAT JAUNE!?"

"NOTHING!!"

"EVERYONE SHUT UP AND BE QUIET IF YOU WANT TO SEE!!" whispered Weiss, who was on the verge of screaming.

She opened the door wide enough for everyone to enter. Everyone let out a series of gasps and "AwWwWWs."

They were both curled up in balls, holding hands, facing one another. Still sleeping peacefully.

The nurse came in and said, "I checked on them both, and they should be just fine. They are free to leave once they wake up, but they should take it easy for a few days."

She walked over to Ruby's side.

"She took a hard hit back there. If not for her aura, her shock would have been very life—threatening. She is quite lucky."

The nurse then went to Oscar's side.

"Him, however...we still aren't quite sure, but we have a good idea. We detected large amounts of stress and anxiety emanating from him as he slept. We won't know for sure until he wakes up and is able to explain, if he can."

"Another point you all should probably be aware of. According to our monitors, Oscar here apparently became conscious for a few moments before falling back asleep, before Miss Rose also apparently became conscious for a bit before doing the same."

The group let out another round of gasps.

"So, with that in mind, they should be waking up soon and heading back in no time."

The nurse quietly left the room for the group to stare and gossip.

"ThAt mEaNs ThEy dId ThAt oN pUrPoSe, oN tHeIr OwNNN!"

"Me and Nora were not expecting this."

"THIS IS GREAT."

"Again, everyone needs to shut up. You all heard her. They could be waking up any minute! And we're all staring at them like maniacs. We could overwhelm them, and that's probably not good considering what they went through, don't you guys think so?"

"...you sound like Yang when she's protective of Ruby. That's actually really cool of you Weiss...Thanks for reminding us of their situation."

"Oh hush Jaune. I'm just worried for them, that's all."

Everyone was finally able to calm down, and silently took a seat on a few beds, waiting. They made sure to stay quiet and contain their excitement, which actually turned out to be easier than they thought, as their exhaustion began to hit them.

Suddenly, the nurse rushed in with news.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry to inform you all, but Oscar and Miss Ruby must be awoken and taken to their dormitories at once. As much as I prefer not to disturb them, I have just received a call that hospitals in Mantle are filling up quickly, and the city is in urgent need for medical attention. So Atlas Academy has agreed to help bring in as many injured people as we could attend to. I'll leave you all to take care of the situation. You have five minutes."

The nurse immediately left the room, leaving the group with their jaws dropped.

They had to separate them, and it made them sad. They were so cute though…

But they knew it had to be done. And fast.

Ren took Oscar's right as Nora took Ruby's left. They took the sides of the beds and began pulling them in opposite directions. The group watched as they were slowly separated, as they were careful to not scare them awake. Suddenly, Ren and Nora felt a tug.

Oh. It was their hands. They wouldn't let go too easily.

Jaune walked in between the two beds and reached for their hands. He took one last look at them, engraving the image into his memory, before he unfolded them.

Then he suddenly jumped back, along with Ren and Nora.

Ruby and Oscar shot straight up, sitting upright, eyes wide open. They looked around the room, gazing at the faces of their friends, until they landed on each other, madly blushing.

But there wasn't time to explain.

"Ren, Nora, you two continue to fix up the room. I'll take Ruby, and Jaune, you can take Oscar. Come on guys, let's move!" shouted Yang.

Yang scooped up her sister into her arms. She felt light and warm.

Jaune picked up Oscar in his arms. He still felt the guilt from how he treated Oscar in Argus, and he used this deed as a type of apology. Oscar also felt light and warm, with tears starting to flow from his eyes.

"It's ok Oscar. Everything's gonna be fine. We're just heading to the dorms."

With that statement, Ruby looked up towards Oscar. She stared for a moment before giving a reassuring look.

The group ran back to the dorms, Yang and Jaune leading the way, keeping Oscar and Ruby close.


	12. Rosegarden12

**Rosegarden, Chapter 12**

Ruby and Oscar fell in and out of consciousness as Yang and Jaune jogged down the halls. As they slept and woke, they experienced flashbacks, both good and bad.

Oscar saw his aunt, crying on his bed into the note he left behind. Then he saw a white light, and saw Jaune up in his face in Argus, holding him by his collar. Another flash, and he saw Ruby shooting a thumbs up at him. The flashes came one after the other, in between blurry visions of Jaune looking down at him and a sleeping Ruby in Yang's arms. The tears in his eyes continued to flow, but at least his headache was slightly better from the sleep.

The feelings in the flashbacks were no different for Ruby. She saw her mother, looking over her shoulder through her white hood, smiling. A flash of white, and there was Oscar, standing in the doorway of the Arcs house in Argus, awkwardly waving. Another flash and she saw Oscar sending a thumbs up before seeing a leaving transport. Between flashes, she saw visions of Yang telling her she will be fine and a sleeping Oscar in Jaune's arms. The sight of Oscar crying made her want to cry, so her eyes began to fill with tears. Weiss wiped them away. "A lady should always have a handkerchief," she said.

The teams finally arrived at the dorms. They decided to meet together in the boys dormitories, since Weiss would not permit the guys to enter "the girls' private space."

Yang laid down Ruby on a bed next to and close to Oscar. Jaune gently put Oscar onto his bed.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, but now there was awkwardness in the air. What were they supposed to tell them? Should they explain now or later? At the same time or separately? Yang put her arm on Blake's shoulder.

Ruby and Oscar laid there for a moment. Oscar wanted to clear his mind a little bit before he questioned anything out loud. Ruby wanted to do the same.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they sat up at the same time and made eye contact. They could feel the anxiousness coming from their teammates, who were scared to death for what they would think of the prank.

But, they surprised them by starting a conversation.

"...Hi Oscar."

"Hi Ruby."

"How are you feeling?"

"The real question is, how are you feeling?"

"Uh, hehe, you know. Exhausted. Tired. Slightly dizzy. You?"

"About the same."

"So..Guys? Care to explain? Anything? Like, what happened to me, exactly? Or Oscar? Oscar, what happened to you?"

They were shocked and terrified. After a small moment of silence, Nora decided to break it.

"...YOU GUYS ENJOY THE INFIRMARY!?"

"NORA!!!!! WHY!!"

"I'M SORRY I HAD TO!"

"Me and Nora are sorry—"

"Stop."

Everyone stopped and turned to Oscar.

"Stop. The yelling is giving me a headache. I don't mean it meanly, though. But, can we not talk about the infirmary right now? I'd rather talk about it alone with Ruby later. But that doesn't mean I don't wanna know how that...yea."

Oscar was blushing madly and so was Ruby, but they tried their best to not be awkward. Not now.

"So..instead of talking about that, can we all just fill each other in on what happened?"

"Of course. I'll start with my view.." said Weiss.

For the next two hours or so, everyone shared their stories and bits to fill everyone in on everything. Ruby told them what she remembered, even including a small bit on how she felt about Oscar before she passed out. She didn't want to hide any secrets from her friends. Oscar only thought it was fair if he did the same too, so he shared what he remembered and the emotions he was feeling and hiding for a long time. There were parts where they laughed, where apologies were said, where hugs were given, where tears were shed, and the moments brought them all closer together.

When all was said, Ruby and Oscar fell back on their pillows. It was a LOT to take in. And everyone was exhausted. But they weren't quite done yet.

"Um, guys?"

"Yea Ruby?"

"This may sound awkward, but can me and Oscar be alone to talk?"

"Um, sorry Ruby, sorry Oscar, but I for one wanna go to bed. I don't mean it meanly, it's just this is JNR's dorm, and—" said Ren.

"Ohh. Heh. I understand. I forgot this was you guys' dorm. Can we go walk around the academy then?"

"Hmm. As long as you two promise you are good enough to walk around alone and be back to bed safely soon," said Yang. "The rest of the academy closes soon. It's almost 12 AM."

Ruby and Oscar nodded.

"We promise."

They exited the dorm and walked down the hallway together. Once they were sure they weren't being followed (they had a feeling) they began to speak.

"Ruby?"

"Yea, Oscar?"

"Do you...remember anything from the infirmary?"

Ruby wasn't going to lie to Oscar. She was going to be honest and completely open. Oscar was planning to do the same. They weren't going to hide their true emotions.

"...yes, I do Oscar. I remember I woke up and I totally panicked at first when I first noticed you were there. But, then I became comfortable with you there and, I have to admit, I was perfectly ok with it."

Since they weren't going to hide their true emotions, Ruby wasn't going to try to hide her completely flushed face.

"...ok then. Well, I remember waking up and also feeling panicked when I finally noticed you there. But I was weirdly ok with it and accepted it."

And he wasn't going to hide his flushed face either.

Ruby stopped Oscar and made him face her. Oscar panicked inside, but he didn't move.

Ruby took out a handkerchief that she had stole from Weiss and wiped away his tears.

"Are you ok, Oscar?"

"No, but I will be."

"Me too."

"You too?"

"Yep. Me too."

She pulled him into a tight, long hug that she knew he desperately needed, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Can I have a kiss on the cheek too? It's only fair!"

"Hehe, ok, fine."

He kissed her cheek back. They realized that they weren't afraid to be awkward around each other. They were themselves.

He took her hand as they continued to walk and share their inner thoughts and fears.

"...and that's the deeper reasoning behind how I passed out."

"...and that's how they think my mom died. Only her white cloak remained.."

"...and that's how I got my new combat gear in Argus."

"...and that's why I prefer cookies over cake."

Ok, their conversations began to grow less emotional over time. They were getting to know each other better, growing closer with every step.

Suddenly, Ruby began to fall forwards from dizziness, before she was caught by Oscar, who was still too weak to hold her up. They both fell to the ground, laying next to each other, laughing hysterically until they started to realize how exhausted they were.

"Oscar?"

"Yea?"

"I feel sick and kinda weak."

"Me too. That probably means we should head back to our dorms, doesn't it."

"Heh, yea, I think so."

"Let's attempt to help each other up."

When they were around each other, they didn't need to act like the mature, confident leaders they had to be sometimes. They could let out their insecurities and be as dumb and awkward as they wanted, as depressed and as anxious as they wanted. They could openly express their emotions without having to worry about judging. They had Ren and Nora to thank for that when they thought about it.

It took them much longer to find their way back to the dorms. They realized they never should have wandered out by themselves for so long; they were growing very weak and had to help drag each other in what was hopefully the right direction. It didn't help that every time they tried to see what the time was on their scrolls their vision would go blurry. The group should have taken the nurses' words seriously after all.

Finally, after many twists and turns, they found their way back. They now stood outside of the doors to their dorms, facing each other.

**Oscar**

This had been weirdly the best day but also the worst day of my life, and it was coming to an end, right here. I didn't want it to end, but my eyes were so tired I couldn't even see straight.

I didn't know how to say goodbye to Ruby, when we were going to see each other the next day anyways. But that was ok, because one thing I learned tonight was that we could be as awkward as we were.

But I had one last thought, before we went to bed, as I stared at her tired, beautiful silver eyes.

"Ruby?"

"Yea?"

"...Do you like roses?"

"Uh, yea I think I do. I know it's probably weird since my last name is Rose, but if it wasn't, I'd still love roses. They have a special meaning to me. Why?"

"...I'd like to take you to a rosegarden sometime. I think it would be nice."

"Hehe. That's sweet. Yea, sure. I look forward to that day in a rosegarden with you."

"...Yea. I can't wait to spend a day with you in our Rosegarden, too."


End file.
